Klarinet Archive - Posting 000938.txt from 1998/11

From: "Mark Charette" <charette@-----.org>
Subj: Re: [kl] THIRD FINGERS STRAIGHT?
Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 07:05:28 -0500

>Edwin V. Lacy and Mark Charette, whose opinions always deserve respect,
>both took issue with Roger Garrett's dictum that a clarinetist's third
>fingers should be straight.

Ah, but I didn't. I brought forth a counterexample to a piano teacher's
rule. I brought this up with my piano teacher a few years back, and she
told me "You can keep your fingers flat when you play like Horowitz."

I did a fair bit of research on Horowitz, and came to the conclusion
that he _always_ played with flat fingers and dropped wrist, even when
he was very small (some anecdotes by former teachers brought this to the
forefront in a few biographies I read).

He fought his teachers, and won in the end. Would he have been as good
had he lost the fight? I don't know, but I doubt it.

<snip>
>The
>reason is simple. It's what works best for most of us.

And a good teacher (who will also be a good student) will see what works
for the few who don't fit the mold.
----
Mark Charette@-----.org
Webmaster, http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet
All-around good guy and devil-may-care flying fool.
"There can be no freedom without discipline." - Nadia Boulanger

-------------------------------------------------------------------------